TEHRAN – Iranian photographers have won top honors in several categories at the Creative Photo Awards in Siena, Italy.

Alireza Sahebi was awarded first prize in the portraiture section for “Aram”, which depicts a girl. 

“Have you ever heard a sound louder than the sound of the eyes?” the photographer asks in a caption for the photo. 

“This work was formed by following the pure space for communication between the subject and audience, eliminating clothes from the body, creating freckles, using green as a symbol of nature. All of these elements come together to maximize the glance of the subject into the eyes of the viewer,” he added.

In the fashion section, “Magic Girl” by Abolfazl Jafarian won first prize. 

“I like portraits, especially black and white, as black and white tones show feelings,” Jafarian said in a caption for the photo showing a woman clad in an overcoat.  

In this section, “Reincarnation” by Sahebi was commended.

Ali Zolqadri finished runner-up in the architecture category.

“Image of a bird flying from the building; the bird flies through the darkness and lines. In this image, I used the technique of assembling two images,” he wrote in the caption for his photo named “Flying in the Dark”.

In the beauty section, Amir-Hossein Loloi also won second prize for “Spring”, which depicts a woman posing with closed eyes beside a branch bearing some pale pink blossoms.

“An image from the ‘Plain as Simple’ series that was inspired by the minimalistic Japanese philosophy,” a caption explains the photo.

“La Bella Principessa” by Peyman Naderi and “Geometric Shape” by Alireza Sahebi received commendations in this section.

“Silence” by Maryam Sadat Ahmadi was “highly commended” in the music section.

“Silence is everything and nothing. In silence, there is everything that should be and what should not be. The sound of silence is louder than all voices because it has a lot to say. In silence we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch everything that is beautiful, wonderful... This is a selfie I took of myself with the help of a camera tripod and remote shutter control. I also made the carrier lines with ice cream sticks and glue,” she said about her photo.

In the conceptual category, “Stormy Thought” by Mostafa Nodeh was “highly commended”.

“What is evident in my work is a delicate balance: the play between strength and elegance, austerity and softness, heaviness and weightlessness, where shadow and light are equally compelling. These strong contrasts create a powerful, almost hypnotic, presence that is both threatening and inviting, while the seeming minimalism conveys a sense of loneliness that is both frightening and reassuring,” he said.

“Faceless” by Radin Badrnia and “You Are Not Alone” by Hadi Malijani received commendations in this category.

Portuguese photographer Andre Boto’s “The False Illusion” on pollution was selected as the photo of the year.

All winning photographers for this award will be exhibited in November in Siena alongside the Siena Awards Festival.

The Creative Photo Awards aims to recognize and reward visionary artists using photographic processes and images.

Photo: “Flying in the Dark” by Ali Zolqadri won second prize in the architecture category at the Creative Photo Awards in Siena, Italy.

MMS/YAW